AU597690B2 - Carbon electrodes - Google Patents

Carbon electrodes Download PDF

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Publication number
AU597690B2
AU597690B2 AU75671/87A AU7567187A AU597690B2 AU 597690 B2 AU597690 B2 AU 597690B2 AU 75671/87 A AU75671/87 A AU 75671/87A AU 7567187 A AU7567187 A AU 7567187A AU 597690 B2 AU597690 B2 AU 597690B2
Authority
AU
Australia
Prior art keywords
transition metal
electrode
carbon
binder
present
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
AU75671/87A
Other versions
AU7567187A (en
Inventor
Oliver Raymond Brown
Martyn John Wilmott
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sellafield Ltd
Original Assignee
British Nuclear Fuels PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by British Nuclear Fuels PLC filed Critical British Nuclear Fuels PLC
Publication of AU7567187A publication Critical patent/AU7567187A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of AU597690B2 publication Critical patent/AU597690B2/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25BELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B1/00Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
    • C25B1/01Products
    • C25B1/24Halogens or compounds thereof
    • C25B1/245Fluorine; Compounds thereof
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25BELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B11/00Electrodes; Manufacture thereof not otherwise provided for
    • C25B11/04Electrodes; Manufacture thereof not otherwise provided for characterised by the material
    • C25B11/042Electrodes formed of a single material
    • C25B11/043Carbon, e.g. diamond or graphene

Description

i_~ji)( b~ go COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 Form COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. C1: T r
I
Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: This document contains the amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.
Related Art: i TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT S (4 Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: BRITISH NUCLEAR FUELS Plc.
Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6AS, ENGLAND Oliver Raymond Brown and Martyn John Wilmott ii GRIFFITH HASSEL FRAZER 71 YORK STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000
AUSTRALIA
Complete Specification for the invention entitled: CARBON ELECTRODES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 9686A:rk p b
I
;1; t i 41 ttl I i 1114 (494 44 *9 0 o 9 9 U I I I Carbon Electrodes This invention relates to carbon electrodes such as are used in the production of fluorine by electrolysis of a mixed molten salt electrolyte using a porous carbon anode, the electrolyte usually comprising potassium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a carbon electrode for use in the electrolytic production of fluorine, the electrode having at least one transition metal dispersed therein, a major part of the transition metal being present as centres with diameters no greater than 1 x 10 9 metres.
In practice, the transition metal(s) may be dispersed through the entire carbon electrode although it is within the ambit of the invention for the transition metals to be confined to those parts of the electrode which, in use, are or will become (as a result of electrode material loss in the course of electrolysis) exposed to the electrolyte.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in a method of making a carbon electrode in which the electrode is formed by consolidating a mass of carbon particles with a carbonaceous binder and heat-treating the consolidated mass, the carbonaceous material constituting the binder and/or the precursor of the carbon particles is doped with one or more transition metals by ispersing the transition metal as a thermally decomposable organic complex or
A
I L- frui^- ir complexes of the transition metal(s) in said carbonaceous material while the latter is in a liquid phase, whereby subsequent heat treatment decomposes the complexes to provide a fine dispersion of transition metal within the particles and/or the carbon residue of the binder with a major part of the transition metal(s) being present as centres with diameters no greater than 1 x 10 9 metres The transition metal(s) may be dispersed within the particles by incorporating the transition metal within a 10 precursor material which is subsequently carbonised and finely divided to produce the carbon particles and, in this event, it is preferred to combine the transition metal with the precursor while the latter is in a liquid phase so that dispersion of the transition metal on an atomic scale is 15 facilitated. For example, the transition metal may be t i provided in the form of a thermally decomposable organic complex of the metal, eg. the transition metal combined with an organic ligand such as acetyl acetonate, and may be dissolved in a suitable liquid vehicle, such as furfuryl 20 alcohol, for mixing with the liquid phase precursor. The precursor may then be carbonised, the organic ligand being one which will decompose at temperatures within the range normally used in the carbonisation of precursor materials for carbon electrode production. After carbonisation, the precursor may be pulverised to produce particles of conventional size for carbon electrode production and the particles can then be combined with a suitable binder, such
~LJ
t.s i
I
as pitch tar, consolidated and heat treated to produce a porous carbon electrode comprising the particles and the residue of the pitch tar.
The precursor may be a derivative of petroleum or coal-tar, eg. it may be a petroleum derivative from which petroleum coke is conventionally produced for use in 4 r 49 r 0IIr If4 a 4 04 0 e6 o 0 446 a Q O 0 0 0 4 1 o 4 4 o Il :r I *wu- -iLI_.
Ir I 3 carbon electrode manufacture.
The transition metal elements are preferably selected from nickel, vanadium and cobalt and may be used in combination, eg. both nickel and vanadium doping of the precursor and/or binder may be employed.
Although, at present, it is considered desirable to disperse the transition metal on an atomic scale, a coarser dispersion is within the scope of the invention and preferably the dispersion is such that an arbitrary slice of the electrode or electrode part having a thickness of the order of 10-9 metres is sufficiently thick to wholly encompass at least one transition metal f t t site. In practice, it is recognised that some agglomeration of the transition metal atoms/particles may occur during preparation of the precursor for example but preferably a substantial part of the transition metal is dispersed to the extent just mentioned. Expressed in a alternative terms, it is preferred that the major part of the transition metal dopant is present as centres with 20 diameters no greater than 1 x 10- 9 metres.
The or each transition metal is typically present in an amount less than 1.0 atom and preferably up to about 0.1 atom Especially where the transition metal(s) is/are selected from nickel, vanadium and cobalt, the invention has particular application to carbon anodes as used in fluorine-producing electrolytic cells. It is known that 4 operation of fluorine cells leads to the formation at the anode surface of an extremely thin film of carbon monofluoride (CF)x typically of the order of 10 9 metres thick which significantly increases the anode operating voltage needed for efficient cell operation.
The introduction of a very fine dispersion of these transition metals ensures that transition metal ion sites (resulting from oxidation of the transition metal centres present in the fluoride film) are available within the thickness of the (CF)X film thereby facilitating electron transfer between the electrolyte and the anode.
In operation, the anode tends to erode and consequently the (CF)x film is continually following erosion of the anode surface and therefore encompasses fresh transition metal ion sites. The possibility of enhancement of electron transfer by the transition metal ion sites is thought to counteract the effect of the (CF)x film formation which is believed to reduce the probability of electron transfer from HF2 species. Thus the 20 presence of the transition metal dopants, nickel,cobalt and/or vanadium, serves to reduce the anode overvoltage.
Various other aspects and features of the invention will be apparent from the appended claims.
11 4 09 O *d o 0* o *ar 4010'
I
30613

Claims (18)

1. A carbon electrode for use in the electrolytic production of fluorine, wherein at least one transition metal is dispersed therein, a major part of the transition metal being present as centres with diameters n. greater than 1 x 10 9 metres.
2. An electrode as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the or each transition metal is present in an amount less than atom%. 10
3. An electrode as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the or each transition metal is present in an amount up to a-bhet 0.1 atom%.
4. An electrode as claimed in any one of the pirceding Claims, wherein the transition metal(s) is/are selected from nickel, vanadium, and cobalt.
5. An electrode as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the electrode comprises a consolidated mass of carbon particles and the residue of a carbonaceous binder, the transition metal(s) being dispersed in the consolidated mass and/or the binder residue.
6. An electrode as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the transition metal(s) is/are derived from a thermally decomposed organic complex or complexes of the transition metal(s) incorporated in the carbon particles and/or binder.
7. An electrode as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the S organic complex comprises the transition metal combined L I .1 ;1 o b 0 44 0 0 0 4 0O 4 4 0*4 0 04 r. *P e with an organic ligand in the form of an acetyl- *acetonate.
8. A method of making a carbon electrode in which the electrode is formed by consolidating a mass of carbon particles with a carbonaceous binder and heat-treating the consolidated mass, wherein the carbonaceous material constituting the binder and/or the precursor of the carbon particles is doped with one or more transition metals by dispersing the transition metal as a thermally decomposable organic complex or complexes of the transition meta in said carbonaceous material while the latter is in a liquid phase, whereby subsequent heat treatment decomposes the complexes to provide a fine dispersion of transition metal within the particles and/or 15 the carbon residue of the binder with a major part uf the transition metal(s) being present as centres with diameters no greater than 1 x 10 9 metres.
9. A method as claimed in Claim 8 including combining an organic complex(es) of the transition metal(s) with the 20 liquid carbonaceous material in the presence of a liquid in which the organic complex(es) of the transition metal(s) is/are soluble. A met.hod as rlaimed in Claim i q, wherein (he organi' complex comprises the transi t.i on metal combined w.i th an organic ligand in the form of an acetyl-acetonate.
S
11. A method as claimed in any one of Cleims 8 to wherein the or each transition metal is selected from -u J::i 00 000 4 *4 o 0 e> o o OA~ 00 04 O 0 .9 4 0 00 6 4 0 0.4 0 nr o o o 0 00 4 0 b 060 0 44 nickel, vanadium and cobalt.
12. A method as claimed in Claim 11, wherein nickel and vanadium are both present.
13. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 8-12 wherein the resulting electrode is of a porous structure.
14. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 13, wherein the quantity of the or each transition metal is selected to provide less than 1.0 atom in the heat treated consolidated mass. 10
15. A method as claimed in Claim 14, wherein said quantity of the or each transition metal provides up to b 0.1 atom in the heat treated consolidated mass.
16. A carbon electrode produced by the method of any one of Claims 8 to 15
17. A process for the electrolytic production of fluorine, wherein there is used as anode(s), one or more electrodes as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 and 16.
18. An electrolytic cell for the production of fluorine comprising, as electrolyte, a mixed molten salt system of 20 potassium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride and, as anode(s), at least one carbon electrode as claimed in any one of Claims 1-7 and 16. DIatcd this 20th day of February, 1990 BRITISH NUCI .AR FUELS PLC By their Pal ~t Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO. ~,r i- i il-LI
AU75671/87A 1986-08-01 1987-07-15 Carbon electrodes Ceased AU597690B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8618909A GB2193225B (en) 1986-08-01 1986-08-01 Carbon electrodes
GB8618909 1986-08-01

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
AU7567187A AU7567187A (en) 1988-02-18
AU597690B2 true AU597690B2 (en) 1990-06-07

Family

ID=10602130

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
AU75671/87A Ceased AU597690B2 (en) 1986-08-01 1987-07-15 Carbon electrodes

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US4915809A (en)
EP (1) EP0255225B1 (en)
JP (1) JPS6338593A (en)
AU (1) AU597690B2 (en)
CA (1) CA1315240C (en)
DE (1) DE3766564D1 (en)
GB (1) GB2193225B (en)
ZA (1) ZA875309B (en)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2729254B2 (en) * 1988-08-05 1998-03-18 信淳 渡辺 Low polarizable carbon electrode
JPH0784669B2 (en) * 1988-11-11 1995-09-13 三井造船株式会社 Carbonaceous electrode
JPH03232988A (en) * 1990-02-06 1991-10-16 Toyo Tanso Kk Carbon electrode, method and device for electrolyzing hf-containing molten salt using the same
CA2071235C (en) * 1991-07-26 2004-10-19 Gerald L. Bauer Anodic electrode for electrochemical fluorine cell
JP3327637B2 (en) * 1993-07-14 2002-09-24 核燃料サイクル開発機構 Functionally graded composite material of copper and carbon and method for producing the same
AU686648B2 (en) * 1993-09-03 1998-02-12 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Fluorine cell
WO2019065258A1 (en) 2017-09-27 2019-04-04 積水化学工業株式会社 Carbon dioxide reduction device, and porous electrode
CN109267098B (en) * 2018-09-27 2019-10-18 四川大学 Fluorine anode processed and preparation method thereof

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2334638A (en) * 1940-10-05 1943-11-16 Fort Orange Paper Company Bottle carrier
GB1277620A (en) * 1969-01-31 1972-06-14 Conradty Fa C Electrodes for electric arc furnaces
GB2054650A (en) * 1979-08-02 1981-02-18 Watanabe N Darbon anode used in electrolytic method of producing fluorine from a potassium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride mixed salt system

Family Cites Families (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2534638A (en) * 1947-12-17 1950-12-19 Harshaw Chem Corp Electrolytic production of fluorine
GB957168A (en) * 1959-10-02 1964-05-06 Ici Ltd Improvements in or relating to a process for the electrolytic production of fluorineand apparatus therefor
US3342910A (en) * 1963-11-05 1967-09-19 Japan Atomic Energy Res Inst Process for preparing nuclear fuel elements of dispersed-in-graphite type
FR1474297A (en) * 1965-03-26 1967-03-24 Clevite Corp electrode for fuel cells
GB1137743A (en) * 1965-03-26 1968-12-27 Clevite Corp Fuel cell electrode
US4011374A (en) * 1975-12-02 1977-03-08 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Energy Research And Development Administration Porous carbonaceous electrode structure and method for secondary electrochemical cell
US4048715A (en) * 1976-01-27 1977-09-20 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Energy Research And Development Administration Method of preparing porous, active material for use in electrodes of secondary electrochemical cells
US4282074A (en) * 1980-07-07 1981-08-04 Ppg Industries, Inc. Electrolytic process utilizing a transition metal-graphite intercalation compound cathode
JPS57200585A (en) * 1981-06-02 1982-12-08 Nikkei Giken:Kk Carbonaceous electrode plate for manufacture of fluorine by electrolysis
JPS5928581A (en) * 1982-08-05 1984-02-15 Asahi Glass Co Ltd Material for gas diffusion electrode
JPS60221591A (en) * 1984-04-17 1985-11-06 Central Glass Co Ltd Manufacture of fluorine
EP0163597A1 (en) * 1984-04-27 1985-12-04 Schweizerische Aluminium Ag Process for diminution of the tendency towards oxidation at increased temperatures of carbon powders or of shaped carbon articles fabricated by using the afore-mentioned carbon powder
US4568442A (en) * 1985-02-01 1986-02-04 The Dow Chemical Company Gas diffusion composite electrode having polymeric binder coated carbon layer
DE3538294A1 (en) * 1985-10-29 1987-04-30 Alusuisse Method for reducing the oxidation tendency existing at temperatures above 800 DEG C of anodes prepared from carbon powder for the production of aluminium by molten-salt electrolysis

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2334638A (en) * 1940-10-05 1943-11-16 Fort Orange Paper Company Bottle carrier
GB1277620A (en) * 1969-01-31 1972-06-14 Conradty Fa C Electrodes for electric arc furnaces
GB2054650A (en) * 1979-08-02 1981-02-18 Watanabe N Darbon anode used in electrolytic method of producing fluorine from a potassium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride mixed salt system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0255225A2 (en) 1988-02-03
EP0255225A3 (en) 1988-12-21
AU7567187A (en) 1988-02-18
JPS6338593A (en) 1988-02-19
GB2193225A (en) 1988-02-03
DE3766564D1 (en) 1991-01-17
GB8618909D0 (en) 1986-09-10
GB2193225B (en) 1990-09-19
EP0255225B1 (en) 1990-12-05
CA1315240C (en) 1993-03-30
US4915809A (en) 1990-04-10
ZA875309B (en) 1988-01-26

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